File:Sea ice - Eastern coast of Greenland.jpg

English: Sea ice is of capital importance in climate dynamics as it reflects most of the solar radiation that it receives, thus affecting the average albedo of the earth, and also because it interposes a solid layer between the ocean and the atmosphere which reduces the free transfer of heat and moisture between the two. In 2020 Arctic sea ice has reached the second-lowest area in 42 years, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, a trend that experts believe is showing how climate change is impacting this vulnerable ecosystem and those who rely on sea ice for their livelihood. As sea ice is less dense than water, it floats on the ocean's surface and can help trace the underlying ocean currents, which result in typical swirls or eddies visible from satellites. This true colour image has been captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 on 25 September and shows numerous sea ice swirls along the eastern coast of Greenland. The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission, that consists of two twin satellites (Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B), allows to develop innovative applications for sea ice monitoring, thanks to the onboard instruments that are able to retrieve accurate information about sea ice extent, temperature and thickness.